Attleboro bookkeeper sentenced for stealing $320,000 in Social Security, retirement benefits

BOSTON, Mass. (WLNE) — An Attleboro man has been sentenced for stealing a combined $320,000 in Social Security disability benefits and Rhode Island retirement system pension funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts.

David Tetreault, 55, was sentenced in U.S. District court to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

He pleaded guilty in October of 2024 to one count of tax evasion, one count of theft of government money and one count of wire fraud.

Tetreault also must pay restitution of $623,602 to the IRS, $151,816 to the Social Security Administration and $161,835 to the Employment Retirement System of Rhode Island ERSRI.

Tetreault had been employed as a bookkeeper for a Massachusetts electrical contractor from 2015 to 2021, receiving his wages in cash and using company funds to pay for personal expenses.

This led to Tetreault underreporting his personal income by at least $2.1 million, leading to a loss of more than $600,000 for the IRS.

Tetreault also failed to report his employment to the Social Security Administration, and submitted fabricated information about his employment and income to the ERSRI.

Theses actions resulted in Tetreault collecting more than $320,000 to which he was not entitled between 2016 and 2024.